Daily Drinking Is Associated with Increased Mortality.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that low-level alcohol use, drinking 1 to 2 drinks on occasion, is protective for cardiovascular disease, but increases the risk of cancer. Synthesizing the overall impact of low-level alcohol use on health is therefore complex. The objective of this paper was to examine the association between frequency of low-level drinking and mortality. METHODS: Two data sets with self-reported alcohol use and mortality follow-up were analyzed: 340,668 individuals from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and 93,653 individuals from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) outpatient medical records. Survival analyses were conducted to evaluate the association between low-level drinking frequency and mortality. RESULTS: The minimum risk drinking frequency among those who drink 1 to 2 drinks per occasion was found to be 3.2 times weekly in the NHIS data, based on a continuous measure of drinking frequency, and 2 to 3 times weekly in the VA data. Relative to these individuals with minimum risk, individuals who drink 7 times weekly had an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause mortality of 1.23 (p < 0.0001) in the NHIS data, and individuals who drink 4 to 7 times weekly in the VA data also had an adjusted HR of 1.23 (p = 0.01). Secondary analyses in the NHIS data showed that the minimum risk was drinking 4 times weekly for cardiovascular mortality, and drinking monthly or less for cancer mortality. The associations were consistent in stratified analyses of men, women, and never smokers. CONCLUSIONS: The minimum risk of low-level drinking frequency for all-cause mortality appears to be approximately 3 occasions weekly. The robustness of this finding is highlighted in 2 distinctly different data sets: a large epidemiological data set and a data set of veterans sampled from an outpatient clinic. Daily drinking, even at low levels, is detrimental to one's health.

Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Among U.S. Veterans With a History of MDD or PTSD: A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on Sex and Race.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosed at age < 55 as predictors, and sex and race as potential moderators, of dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment. Method: Veterans (N = 4,800) aged ⩾ 56 years were grouped by psychiatric history, sex, and race. Hierarchical and stepwise regression were employed to determine significant predictors. Results: MDD and PTSD were associated with almost double the risk for developing dementia or cognitive impairment at age ⩾ 56. Sex, as a moderator, had small effects whereas race increased the risk almost twofold for Black veterans, given the presence of MDD history. Discussion: MDD and PTSD act as significant risk factors for dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment, and Black veterans, given a history of MDD, may be at an increased risk. An important endeavor for future research is to examine how this risk may vary across dementia subtypes and related conditions.

Factor structure of MicroCog in a clinical sample.

Two factor solutions adequately describe the MicroCog performance data of a clinical sample of substance abusers. Information Processing Speed and Information Processing Accuracy factors seem to explain the Short Form and Standard Form scores of a clinical sample as they do for the normative sample. Clinicians need to be aware that the factor scores do not allow for unambiguous interpretation, but may be more meaningful than independent domain scores.

Internship placement data: is nonplacement the only concern?

Current discussion regarding securing internships often focuses on their availability. Thus, quantity is especially emphasized. However, quality is also an issue of importance. The number of intern applicants receiving slots at quality internship sites, as defined by the internship having been accredited by the American Psychological Association or having successfully been reviewed by the Association of Psychology and Postdoctoral Internship Centers, was assessed. Information regarding the number of unfunded internships also was gathered. Recommendations for increasing the availability of quality internships are provided.